Disclaimer for racial insensitivity in Peter Pan Jr.?

[DisneyJamieCA]

To answer your question OP, as cringe worthy as it is, I would leave it alone. You have made your concerns known and any blowback won’t come on you, it will be at the director. If you’re worried on a personal level, I think your only choice is to resign from the production and let them know your reasons. Maybe it would be enough for them to change, maybe not. But I don’t think you’re in a position to make changes to the program if you’ve now expressly been told no.

 

[daisyx3]

The class the year before my sons did once upon a mattress. The bishop of our diocese wasn’t happy because of the pregnancy in the story line. Before my son’s class production, he personally called the director and warned her that there better not be anything offensive. A little overkill in my opinion but I guess there’s always going to be someone.

Memories! My best friend was the director at our school before she retired. They did "Auntie Mame" and got a couple of angry letters because Agnes Gooch was an unwed mother! Then when she did Brigadoon and the second lead guy was in a hammock with the village girl, they were told that both characters had to have at least one foot on the floor!

 

[tzolkin]

Speaking as a grandmother of a native American, I can give his view of this. He just shook his head and couldn't believe there was an issue with PP. Afterall, it portrays kids Playing as Indians. So, I don't think there is any "racial" issue at all, unless we try to make one.

Have you watched it recently or read the script? Yes, there's a part at the beginning where the kids are playing cowboys and Indians in their nursery, but the parts in Neverland with the tribe go way beyond kids playing and include loads of racial slurs, insults, and ridiculous stereotypes. I guess that's great for your grandson if he's unbothered, but I don't think I have ever met any native people in my entire life who thought there was "no racial issue at all" in Peter Pan.

 

[VandVsmama]

I'm the accompanist for our Middle School musical next fall, and the director has decided to put on Peter Pan Jr. As much as I LOVE Peter Pan, I don't love the way the Indigenous People are portrayed. My daughter and I can't really understand why they are portrayed as American Indians anyway --- did Peter Pan fly the kids all the way from London to America??? So weird.

Anyway, I talked briefly with the director about trying to neutralize those characters a litte. But she sees nothing wrong with it. Seriously? The Ugh-a-Wug song alone is just horrible!

Since I'm also in charge of typing up the program, I wondered if some sort of "disclaimer" might be in order??

I welcome your advice!

Since you feel quite strongly about it, you should consider declining to be the accompanist to the school musical.

 

[Kae]

Since you feel quite strongly about it, you should consider declining to be the accompanist to the school musical.

this

 

[Minnie_me]

Speaking as a grandmother of a native American, I can give his view of this. He just shook his head and couldn't believe there was an issue with PP. Afterall, it portrays kids Playing as Indians. So, I don't think there is any "racial" issue at all, unless we try to make one.

It's not the presence of Native Americans in the show that bothers me. It's the song "Ugg-a-Wug" and the dialogue that is offensive.

 

[JimMIA]

It's not the presence of Native Americans in the show that bothers me. It's the song "Ugg-a-Wug" and the dialogue that is offensive.

It seems to me that you are caught in a "Catch 22." You are offended by that aspect of the show, yet your position does not carry any authority to change anything.

I don't mean to sound flippant because I appreciate your dilemma -- but you've done what you can by asking the director and the principal. You are in a position of either going with their decision...or not, and resigning.

I don't think there is anyone here who can tell you what to do.

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

My daughter and I can't really understand why they are portrayed as American Indians anyway --- did Peter Pan fly the kids all the way from London to America???

I don’t truly know the answer, but ‘Cowboys and Indians’ was a very popular ‘pretend’ game when I was growing up. It involved lots of building dens, hiding, chasing etc. It was pre television, so I would guess that we were copying what we saw at the cinema at the time and it was probably considered an ‘improvement’ on World War I and II based make believe games.
I suppose the scene reflects children’s imagination and pretend games ‘of the time’. I wonder how the scene would be written now? Maybe space aliens or ‘Instagram’ world.

 

[Alicefan]

Speaking as a grandmother of a native American, I can give his view of this. He just shook his head and couldn't believe there was an issue with PP. Afterall, it portrays kids Playing as Indians. So, I don't think there is any "racial" issue at all, unless we try to make one.

AMEN! The fact that people are suggesting "neutralizing" everyone is absurd and shocking. THIS is the bigger problem.

 

[Heigh-Ho]

AMEN! The fact that people are suggesting "neutralizing" everyone is absurd and shocking. THIS is the bigger problem.

People aren't suggesting it, the author of the thread is. That's the only person I've seen suggest 'neutralizing', unless that is what you were meaning

Anyway, I talked briefly with the director about trying to neutralize those characters a litte. But she sees nothing wrong with it. Seriously?

 

[Ms.Minnie]

Have you watched it recently or read the script? Yes, there's a part at the beginning where the kids are playing cowboys and Indians in their nursery, but the parts in Neverland with the tribe go way beyond kids playing and include loads of racial slurs, insults, and ridiculous stereotypes. I guess that's great for your grandson if he's unbothered, but I don't think I have ever met any native people in my entire life who thought there was "no racial issue at all" in Peter Pan.

I'm asking this question in a respectful way and I hope you will be taken that way. I'm just curious if the subject of Peter Pan actual came up in your interactions with someone who is a native person? I'm also curious why this topic would have come up?

It's not the presence of Native Americans in the show that bothers me. It's the song "Ugg-a-Wug" and the dialogue that is offensive.

I have to agree with other posters who have shown what your options are, abide by the director and principal who don't see an issue or resign. If you do what you think is best and add a disclaimer you are overstepping you authority and it may not end well for you. It is up to you to decide the best course of action for you, we can not tell you what to do.

 

[Alicefan]

People aren't suggesting it, the author of the thread is. That's the only person I've seen suggest 'neutralizing', unless that is what you were meaning

There were others in this thread suggesting everyone be dressed "normally".

 

[Heigh-Ho]

There were others in this thread suggesting everyone be dressed "normally".

That's not what I said.

Here's what I said

For 'neutralizing' the characters why not have them be in normal clothing. Why do they have to dress up as something else?

It was because I don't see the point in changing the attire just to something else (which the author of the thread said hippie). If you're going to have an issue with the attire in the first place just have them be in normal clothing. You're reading something controversial that isn't there. I'm not saying to change the script anyways. I didn't say everyone be dressed normally either.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I checked out the song in question. I can see where it's a bit cringey, but it seems to be harmless and a song about friendship between Peter Pan and Tiger Lily. It's a bit like, yes, Irish people don't dress up like Leprechauns but is it harming them as a people? In this case, I really don't think so. And I'm as liberal as they come.

 

[tzolkin]

I'm asking this question in a respectful way and I hope you will be taken that way. I'm just curious if the subject of Peter Pan actual came up in your interactions with someone who is a native person? I'm also curious why this topic would have come up?

Yes, it has come up quite often actually. I know it's probably not a general conversation topic for most people so I can see where that would sound odd or that I was just making a random generalization. I have a degree in Native American studies. Over the last 20+ years I have worked at a university within their NA studies program, I have worked in an anthropology museum, and have worked coordinating large events where I have met hundreds of native artists. The topic of how indigenous people are represented in popular culture (like Disney movies) is brought up routinely in this type of academic/ professional environment so I have heard lots of people's opinions. A good portion of my personal life has been spent with native people so I've also discussed it casually with family and friends, especially our children's responses to seeing movies (like Peter Pan, Pocahontas, etc) and what their thoughts or initial impressions were.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

There were others in this thread suggesting everyone be dressed "normally".

I kinda think you took what that person said and made an issue of it.

I was part of that conversation and it was first started out because the OP made the suggestion of changing the characters into hippie clothing. I don't think changing one stereotype for another makes it morally better (and it seemed that's where the OP was coming from in their objection to it, understandable for sure though) but that's my opinion. I think the suggestion Heigh-Ho brought up was more along the lines of if you're going to have an issue with how someone looks and you're calling for neutralizing then have normal clothing. I guess I understand what they were getting at because I didn't agree with changing the characters to begin with just to some other stereotype and if I think about it the most neutralizing is to be in normal clothing (well I *think* that might be more what they were thinking)

TBH I think describing it as "neutralizing" is probably not the best descriptor in the first place but JMO.

 

[tzolkin]

I checked out the song in question. I can see where it's a bit cringey, but it seems to be harmless and a song about friendship between Peter Pan and Tiger Lily. It's a bit like, yes, Irish people don't dress up like Leprechauns but is it harming them as a people? In this case, I really don't think so. And I'm as liberal as they come.

The song from the play is less racist than the Disney version (which I think is what most people think of when picturing the depiction of Indians in Peter Pan) so I will agree with you there.

I don't really understand your Leprechaun analogy though. Leprechauns are not people.

 

[Ms.Minnie]

Yes, it has come up quite often actually. I know it's probably not a general conversation topic for most people so I can see where that would sound odd or that I was just making a random generalization. I have a degree in Native American studies. Over the last 20+ years I have worked at a university within their NA studies program, I have worked in an anthropology museum, and have worked coordinating large events where I have met hundreds of native artists. The topic of how indigenous people are represented in popular culture (like Disney movies) is brought up routinely in this type of academic/ professional environment so I have heard lots of people's opinions. A good portion of my personal life has been spent with native people so I've also discussed it casually with family and friends, especially our children's responses to seeing movies (like Peter Pan, Pocahontas, etc) and what their thoughts or initial impressions were.

Thank you for your reply, I can see how the topic could come up with your connection to academia and your field of study. I'm also sorry if native people are offended by the way they are portrayed in this story.

I honestly feel that when the story Peter Pan was written it was not meant to be viewed in a derogatory light but rather a fantasy for children to enjoy. I also don’t think that the children see anything wrong with the story. The problem seems to be with adults who want to overthink everything. As others have said, fault can be found in just about everything if you want to find it.

I for one wish we could go back to a time when everything wasn’t looked at through a magnifying glass and fault found with everything. I feel bad for my grandchildren who are growing up in this polarizing time.

 

[momz]

Are we to be offended by every little thing? What about nannies? The nanny in Peter Pan is a dog. Also, the person with a disability (Captain hook) is portrayed as the bad guy. All the Fairies are girls. Wendy only wears dresses. The fat one (Mr. Smee) is a dim-wit. What else? Come on, chime in. What else can be considered offensive?

Oh...the injustice.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

The song from the play is less racist than the Disney version (which I think is what most people think of when picturing the depiction of Indians in Peter Pan) so I will agree with you there.

I don't really understand your Leprechaun analogy though. Leprechauns are not people.

Because it's a funny stereotype, rather than a harmful one. People might say, 'oh, Irish people drink too much,' which is a harmful stereotype. Maybe my analogy was a bit clumsy, but I was trying to illustrate my point.